A thrilling thread about sick leave

[AuntieBrenda]

I'm 25 weeks pg and really struggling with hip/ pelvic/ leg pain at the moment. I find it hard to walk long distances , lift, stand in the shower and wash myself without it hurting.

In sept, we are all starting at a new school in so much as ours closed and has merged along with another that's also closed to form one new school.
We will be split site which will mean travelling between buildings x3 a day for most of the week.

I'm struggling now and I don't see myself being able to cope with the travelling, hoiking teaching stuff around as we have no set rooms and physically standing to teach all day.

The mw suggested I go sick but I have no idea how to do this or even if I should.

Anyone been in a similar situation or could offer any advice? Do I do it now or wait a bit and see how if goes? I don't wang to mess anyone around.

I did have a tlr role but I've given this up and I'm back to being a main scale teacher from sept. Can't think of anything else to add!

First thing I would suggest is to adapt your teaching style. I have a bad back and rarely stand in my classroom. I either sit on my chair, on my desk or a chair next to a pupil.

Get the children to carry stuff about for you, even if it means that you do a filler type activity in the first 5 min of a lesson whilst a couple of kids go and fetch the stuff that you have left somewhere for them to pick up.

I wouldn't go sick / start your maternity leave this early, but I would talk to the SMT to explain what is a disability for you at present - they will then need to work out some reasonable adjustments to ensure you don't have to do the extra walking between sites / carrying stuff, etc.
Your employer has a duty of care to it's staff and needs to work out how they will implement it, but it is helpful if they can think about this now, before term starts, rather than trying to change things once everything has been timetabled.

You need a risk assessment. Can they adapt your timetable to minimise travelling? Definitely get the kids to carry stuff. I taught mainly sitting down in the latter part of my pregnancies. Borrow a tall stool from science and sit on that at the front of the class instead of standing. Sit at your desk while the kids are working and get them to come to you with problems. Make use of bright kids in your groups, get them to help others instead of you. And plan lessons which minimise the need for you to do anything.

You are officially starting a new job -or so it seems - and so your employer is required to undertake a risk assessment for you.
The Government website GOV.UK outlines your rights and your employer's responsibilities.

Do not go sick - you are not sick, you are pregnant and have many protected rights to support you continuing working. You should not be expected to move rooms, lug heavy stuff around, or stand for long periods. Your school will need to accommodate your needs or suspend you on full pay.

I agree with noble. Risk assessments should be performed for all pregnant staff. Highlight the difficulties with changing rooms and see how these difficulties can be overcome. There are lots of ways that SLT could make most of the issues much easier.

Go sick. School CANNOT legally start your mat leave until you are 36 weeks pregnant if you don't want to do it earlier. Don't take no for an answer. I know this for definite as I checked and re-checked the burgundy book. You can go sick by going to the GPs and explaining everything. I had a colleague who went sick at 30 weeks due to gestational diabetes and school made her start mat leave. She had no idea that what they were doing was wrong. She is now fuming!

it would be good to start by asking for a risk assessment and take all your medical evidence if you have any. i would expect the school to arrange the transport between buildings for staff but not all schools do.

we did one recently where we agreed that the lady could skip the first and last lessons on certain days to avoid rush hour, provided her with a trolley for lugging the light stuff, suspended her from supervision duties and she got timetabled in a single classroom due to pregnancy compilations.

Although you cannot be classed as disabled by virtue of your pregnancy but they can suspend on full pay if it is not possible to make reasonable adjustments or of the adjustments don't make enough of a positive difference.

Right - an update.
I emailed the head on Friday after seeing my final timetable. Some days I have to travel at break and lunch and the other days I have a break duty and have to travel at lunch.
I have gone down the wrath of the union route yet but I outlined my concerns.
I think they've agreed to let me off duty but I saw the head today and she said " if I keep you on one site then I will have to do that for others" and "you are either for for work or you're not". HR of the council hadn't got back to her as of this afternoon so I'm expecting some info tomorrow. Teaching starts in Wednesday. It is a farce and I don't know what to do.
I think it'd be less stress on me if I just got signed off. I felt sick since Friday and hardly slept.
I love my job and this is really peeing me off

I could have written your post AuntieBrenda I'm so sorry they are being so crap. My work is the same, I'm not split across sites but I am across departments which involves a lot of stairs/lugging stuff about as well as far too many duties. I haven't had any kind of RA except one 5 min chat wit y boss and a form where I put 'no' to all the questions about having an adequate risk assessment done. Nobody cares. If they continue to take the piss I will have no problem if I end up signed off!

Brenda what happened with your work? Sounds like a nightmare

Hi it's me- I've changed my name.
Just waiting for my dr appt to get signed off.
I got the union involved in the end. My rep had a word with the head. The lea hr were dragging their heels something awful getting back so she told him to tell me to go on the sick.
They can't start mat leave til 4 weeks before due date (thanks to a pp for that info) so if I get signed off today I'll be fine.
I'm seeing a physio now too so that's good.
Thanks to all for your advice and support.